1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flat display device for executing an AC plasma discharge display and a fabricating method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, there is a flat plasma discharge display device adopting a double-electrode system, namely, so-called matrix display mode where first and second electrodes, each of which is constituted so that a plurality of parallel electrodes are disposed called X electrodes and Y electrodes, are provided and an aimed display is executed in a plasma discharge between electrodes selected from both the electrode groups (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-52802 (1994)).
Such a kind of matrix plasma discharge display device is constituted so that surroundings of opposing first and second substrates are sealed so that an airtight space is formed between both the substrates. A first electrode group, which constitutes one discharge electrode by disposing first electrodes extended along a first direction, is formed on an inner surface of the first substrate, and a second electrode group, which constitutes the other discharge electrode by disposing second electrodes extended to a second direction perpendicularly crossing the first direction, is formed on an inner surface of the second substrate.
A dielectric layer is formed on both surfaces of the first and second electrode groups, and a surface layer consisting of MgO or the like is further formed thereon.
Furthermore, fluorescent material which emits a required light is provided on both sides of, for example, one electrode between the first and second electrodes.
In this configuration, a required AC voltage is applied between the selected first and second electrodes so that a discharge takes place, and the fluorescent material is illuminated by an ultraviolet ray generated by the discharge so that an aimed color display is executed.
Incidentally, in a normal matrix plasma discharge display device, spacing between the electrodes is set to 130 xcexcm to 200 xcexcm, for example, and a so-called negative glow discharge takes place. However, in the discharge mode which mainly utilizes such the negative glow discharge, a driving voltage and driving current are comparatively high and power consumption is increased, and in a flat display device whose screen has a tendency to be enlarged, reduction in the power consumption is highly demanded.
The present invention provides an AC driving type matrix plasma discharge display device and a fabricating method of the same.
A flat display device of the present invention is constituted so that: first and second substrates are disposed so as to oppose each other; a first electrode group which is constituted so that a plurality of first electrodes are disposed is formed as one discharge electrode on the first substrate; a second electrode group which is constituted so that a plurality of second electrodes are disposed is formed as the other discharge electrode on the second substrate; and a plasma discharge display is executed in a cathode glow discharge.
In addition, a method of fabricating a flat display device according to the present invention includes: the step of forming a first electrode group, which is constituted so that a plurality of first electrodes are disposed with their mainly extended direction defined as a first direction along a surface of a first substrate, on the first substrate; the step of forming grid-state projecting bars which are composed of projecting bar portions, which are extended to a direction crossing the discharge maintaining electrodes and arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals, and intersecting projecting bar portions, which cross the projecting bar portions and are extended along between the discharge maintaining electrodes; the step of forming a projecting wall group, which is constituted so that a plurality of projecting walls extending to a second direction along a surface of the second substrate are disposed in parallel, on the second substrate; the step of flying an electroconductive material onto the projecting walls from a diagonally upper direction crossing the second direction and depositing the electroconductive material selectively to top portions of the projecting walls and side walls in the neighborhood of the projecting walls so as to form second electrodes by the electroconductive material formed on the top portions of required projecting walls, on the second substrate; and the step of applying a fluorescent layer between the projecting walls, wherein the first and second substrates are made to oppose each other so that said first and second directions cross each other, and said projecting walls and said intersecting projecting bar portions at least work together so that spacing between said second electrodes and said first electrodes is set to predetermined spacing.
According to the flat display device of the present invention, since the discharge is allowed to take place by utilizing the cathode glow discharge, a driving power can be reduced further than the case of the negative glow discharge, and a power saving effect particularly in a large-screen display is improved.
In addition, according to the fabricating method of the present invention, the second electrodes which are separated from each other are formed easily and accurately by the method of allowing the electroconductive material to fly from the diagonal direction to the projecting walls so as to form the second electrodes isolatedly on the top portions of the projecting walls.